Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report Yamagata Prefecture--A species of coral previously not found this far north in Japanese waters has been found to be thriving lies about 20 meters off the coast of the Kamo district of Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture The northern limit of the reef-building coral habitat was previously believed to be just off Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture The newly found coral lies about 80 kilometers north of Sado The reef-building coral has a hard shell and creates coral reef landforms Its existence was first spotted by a staff member of local diving store Urban Sports in April 2023 who posted photos on social media a professor at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Science learned of the development last month and surveyed the seafloor at the site He confirmed that the coral was distributed in nine locations noted that kikumeishimodoki is known for thriving in a murky environment where the water temperature is low it was believed that kikumeishimodoki could survive in low average monthly water temperatures of up to 10 degrees But the average monthly temperature of the waters where the coral was recently found drops to about 8 degrees Yamano estimated it has been growing for several years Yamano said the fact the coral was able to grow at even lower-than-expected water temperatures “could be due to global warming.” He also said changes in ocean currents could be responsible or simply that kikumeishimodoki is a species that can live at even lower water temperatures than previously considered “The distribution map of reef-building coral will probably change to the north more than before.” Yamano said he plans to present his findings in a research paper in December “It is so sweet to think that the coral quietly and slowly migrated northward and settled in the cold sea.” Scientist proves his mettle with skeletal frame to grow coral Australia fights UN downgrade of Great Barrier Reef health Coral reef off Okinawa island revived after starfish removed Southern fish survive winter off Izu amid warmer waters Caves on island off Henoko hold limestone ‘jewel box’ of structures Southern corals taking root in warming waters of Tokyo Bay Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission Tucked away in a fairly rural area of Japan lies the world's largest collection of jellyfish Kamo Aquarium which is located near to moderate-sized city of Tsuruoka in Yamagata is home to 60 species of these invertebrates The aquarium is recognized by the Guinness World Records.  By far the most impressive feature is the Jellyfish Dream Theater a five-meter tank with approximately 10,000 moon jellies drifting in the saline water Dramatic backlighting makes from especially haunting photographs Visitors can also check out the onsite laboratory used for breeding jellyfish Check out the small jellies underneath a microscope While jellyfish are certainly the main draw which perform in regularly scheduled shows There is no onsite parking and it can get quite busy An antiquated aquarium housed in a converted government anti-nuclear bunker A wonderfully eclectic Victorian aquarium lies in the basement of the Horniman Museum One of the most elaborate displays of Jellyfish is on display at the aquarium Located in the large-scale shopping mall is an otherwise unassuming aquarium featuring species native to Okinawa waters and get a bonus lesson on the importance of marine conservation Glimpse into the life cycle of the European lobster and the work being done to protect them The oft-overlooked site of one of the first marine biological research facilities in the world Europe's largest river aquarium features freshwater species from around the world 1966) worked independently from each other before founding the SANAA Ltd Having studied architecture at the Japan Women’s University Sejima went on to work for the renowned architect Toyo Ito She set up her studio in 1987 and in 1992 was proclaimed Young Architect of the Year in Japan Nishizawa studied architecture at the Yokohama National University The studio has built several extraordinarily successful commercial and institutional buildings homes and museums both in Japan and elsewhere These include the O Museum in Nagano (1999) and the N Museum in Wakayama (1997) the Prada Beauty Store in Tokyo and Hong Kong (2001) the Issey Miyake and Christian Dior Building in Tokyo (2003) and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa (2004) Sejima also designed the famous Small House in Tokyo (2000) the extension to the Institut Valencia d’Art Modern New York (2003-2007) and the Novartis Campus WSJ-157 Office Building In 2004 Sejima and Nishizawa were awarded the Golden Lion at the 9th Venice Architecture Biennale for their distinguished work on the Metamorph exhibition Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa have won the 2010 Pritzker Prize The 12th International Architecture Exhibition was directed by Kazuyo Sejima the first woman to direct the Venice Architecture Biennale Archive Art This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version ANU is a world-leading university in Australia’s capital Excellence is embedded in our approach to research and education Your donation will make a real difference to our community of researchers and students ANU graduates become lifelong members of our community ANU has a huge variety of support services programs and activities to enhance your student experience Presented by ANU College of Asia & the Pacific Japan finds itself at a critical crossroads an increasingly challenging strategic environment and its defence expenditure projected to double Japan is reshaping its strategic posture in ways not seen in decades presidency following the November 2024 election has raised fresh questions about the future of the U.S.-Japan alliance - long regarded as the cornerstone of regional security - and the implications for alliances the ever-closer Australia-Japan security partnership is taking on heightened importance with some observers now likening it to a de facto alliance four leading Japanese experts will explore these developments their potential impact on Indo-Pacific security and what they mean for the evolving Australia-Japan security relationship.  Michito Tsuruoka, Associate Professor Michito Tsuruoka specializes in international security and contemporary European politics He studied politics and international relations at Keio University and Georgetown University and holds a PhD in War Studies from King’s College London Tsuruoka served as an advisor for NATO at the Embassy of Japan in Belgium (2005–2008) and as a Resident Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (2009) he was a Research Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS) he served as Deputy Director of the International Policy Division and as a Visiting Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) He was a Visiting Fellow at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre (SDSC) Professor Satoru Mori, Faculty of Law Keio Center for Strategy (KCS)Professor Satoru Mori focuses on U.S He earned a bachelor’s degree in law from Kyoto University master’s degrees from Kyoto University and Columbia University and a doctorate in law from the University of Tokyo Professor Mori previously served in Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held academic roles at Hosei University He has been a Senior Researcher at the Nakasone Peace Institute since 2018 and served as a Special Advisor and Senior Fellow at the National Security Secretariat (2016–2019) He is currently a member of the Ministry of Defense New Defense Policy Roundtable and has been involved in expert reviews of Japan’s defense strategy.  Ayumi Teraoka, Postdoctoral Research Scholar Ayumi Teraoka is a scholar of alliance politics and Indo-Pacific security She is a fellow with the Columbia-Harvard China and the World Program (2024–2025) and teaches Japanese Foreign Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) alliance management and China’s counter-strategies in Asia Teraoka’s research has been supported by leading foundations and has been published in academic journals and outlets such as Foreign Policy and The Japan Times She holds a PhD and MA in Security Studies from Princeton University an MA in Asian Studies from Georgetown University She previously worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Council on Foreign Relations.  First-Year Experience Registrations What's on at ANU Careers & Employability in Semester 1, 2025 Scenes from the Collection Tuesday night writing sessions in the Gallery which is topped with a series of sweeping canopies has been designed to be as welcoming and inviting as possible the institution is surrounded by nature and is sited next to the ‘chidōkan’ externally, the building is broken down into volumes that become smaller towards the perimeter of the site. this not only reduces the scale of the complex, but also helps it relate to its surrounding context. in developing the design of the venue, kazuyo sejima adopted a ‘sayadou’ style involves building a protective structure over a shrine or temple to shelter it from the elements laid out in a ‘vineyard’ style the site’s focal point is a concert hall with seating that surrounds the stage in tiers the cultural complex is located in tsuruoka the public spaces adjoining the concert hall have been designed as flexible volumes which can be used for a variety of functions it was important to retain the previous building’s identity and character in addition to catering to the needs of local students and art organizations the institution has also increased the number of functions and services that it offers the materials used throughout the project have been designed be as tactile as possible the complex has been designed to be as welcoming and inviting as possible other solo projects by kazuyo sejima include a transparent, walk through pavilion and a museum dedicated to the work of katsushika hokusai. see all projects by SANAA on designboom here which become smaller towards the perimeter of the site the sweeping roof lines are visible internally volumes are filled with bright natural light public spaces surrounding the concert hall have been designed as flexible volumes the building’s focal point is its concert hall the building is topped with a series of sweeping canopies AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style As I sit on the 11th floor of my urban apartment surrounded by city life that has hacked away at the natural environment I see a living proof that nature is resilient My neighbour’s window ledge is covered in weeds growing out of the building’s concrete There’s even a pretty robust ficus that refuses to be diminished This is not an environment of fertile soil or regular watering If it can happen without human intervention then why can’t architecture be designed to make it flourish “The earth is a formless assembly of various living organisms, including humans. Could architecture be a vessel to hold these organisms as one whole unit?” This question led architects Kiyoaki Takeda and Miyuki Sakuyama, of Kiyoaki Takeda Architects, to create a spectacular house in Tokyo The team designed the dwelling to include multiple layers of gardens and spaces that were capable of housing plants wildlife and the people it was built for.  “I encountered an article published in a scientific journal (that stated) human-made artefacts have begun to surpass all global living biomass…the dominant cause of this trend is construction materials This condition implies it has reached a limit to keep generating the ‘architecture solely for humans’ produced so far Tsuruoka House is an architecture that attempts to hold not only people but also other life forms.” Completed in 2021, the waterfront property located in lush park of Japan’s capital features a series of vaulted slabs filled with soil for the plants to grow “Rainwater flows from the mountains to valleys of the vault slabs and is carried vertically from valleys through the core The water flow generated the shape of the building,” Takeda explains While the concept of plant covered homes is by no standard a new one what the architects attempted was to create a garden that would eventually become an environment in itself the site is often divided into gardens and houses in a two-dimensional plan the relationship between nature and architecture tends to be just next to each other,” says Takeda The design approach was to ‘stack’ gardens and houses on top of each other in a cross-sectional plan green roofs have a thin layer of soil that can support plants that don’t have deep roots “The thickness of the soil was plotted as deep as possible so that the layered garden would be a small forest hosting a mixture of ground cover plants By opening the garden to other available life forms the garden becomes an environment,” says Takeda The thing about creating architecture where a natural environment can flourish is the fact that this natural environment cannot be controlled The Japanese firm needed to make sure that the construction would be sturdy enough to hold up this flourishing environment they hoped would grow out of it “The compost itself is already heavy growing and increasing plants every year that need to be considered… the scarier it was to embrace the environment.” The whole structure features visible concrete and steel sections strong enough to take on the growing weight The vaults are designed to accentuate the flow of water with overflow pipes that drain the excess rainwater into the ground “(We also) designed the soil foundation with layer structure by placing high-density compost with water retention at the upper level where the plant roots can reach and positioning low-density compost with clear drainage at the lower level,” adds Takeda They reduced the weight by limiting the soil location on the rooftop and around the periphery of interiors and exteriors to allow transpiration to soften solar heat The environment supported by the building structure is ‘managed nature’ by human hands Shouldn’t the environment mean ‘untouched nature’?” Reaffirming his aim for the project – to showcase that architecture for humans could also be for the environment and vice versa – Takeda created a structure which tries to respect the supply and demand among all beings in every direction “If we could establish a structure that fosters mutual and complementary relationships to each other it might be possible to seek a direction for future architecture and birds and insects will introduce unplanned species existing life forms will grow and hide the building entirely their bio-mass must surpass the mass of human-made architecture,” he concludes *Architect Kiyoaki Takeda’s inputs were translated by Mami Sayo Nadezna has over a decade of experience with print and digital media she was a travel and food journalist for five years From vernacular knowledge to modern sustainability Middle Eastern pavilions serve as living archives of architectural thought offering fresh frameworks for global adoption STIR engages with the curators of the Togo Oman and Qatar pavilions—debuting at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025—on representation the book presents a fictional story depicting algorithms exercising control over humans and how this affects the built environment Tipnis shares how the toolbox democratises the practice of restoration via DIY resources to repair tangible urban heritage made of common building materials Exclusive preview for subscribers. Learn More Make your fridays matter. Learn More © Copyright 2019-2025 STIR Design Private Limited Please confirm your email address and we’ll send you a link to reset your password All your bookmarks will be available across all your devices Password must be 8 characters long including one capital letter By creating an account, you acknowledge and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy by STIR Select the Conversation Category you would like to watch Please enter your details and click submit Single account access for STIRworld.com,STIRpad.com and exclusive STIRfri content Verification link sent to check your inbox or spam folder to complete sign up process by Nadezna Siganporia | Published on : Feb 03, 2022 This page uses JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript in your browser. Two decades have passed since Keio established Tsuruoka Town Campus (TTCK) in Yamagata Prefecture. In that time, TTCK has boldly pursued advanced fields and actively promoted new biotechnology developments through academic ventures that pave the way for a better future. Here we look back on the illustrious twenty-year track record of TTCK, which has also gained recognition as a model case for regional revitalization. Both RIKEN and the National Cancer Center have recently established laboratories in Tsuruoka City and are engaged in research collaborations with the IAB. Due largely in part to TTCK, Tsuruoka is increasingly being recognized as a hotspot for advanced science and technology and a successful example of regional revitalization fueled by research and education. *This article originally appeared in Stained Glass in the 2021 spring edition (No. 310) of Juku. Copyright © Keio University. All rights reserved. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace Public access to information is a key component of UNESCO's commitment to transparency and its accountability. Based on human rights and fundamental freedoms, the 2005 Convention ultimately provides a new framework for informed, transparent and UNESCO’s e-Platform on intercultural dialogue is designed for organizations and individuals to learn from shared knowledge or experiences from infl Established in 2002, the GEM Report is an editorially independent report, hosted and published by UNESCO. To recovery and beyond: The report takes stock of the global progress on the adoption and implementation of legal guarantees on Access to Info Addressing culture as a global public good For almost 75 years, the UNESCO Courier has served as a platform for international debates on issues that concern the entire pla Lifelong learning is key to overcoming global challenges and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. remarkable gastronomical and agricultural traditions have developed in the region The landscape surrounding the city offers a varied geographical landscape including sea This geographic diversity has resulted in an exceptional diversity of food being cultivated in the area surrounding Tsuruoka and includes foods such as mountain vegetables and mushrooms Also unique to the city’s identity are spiritual traditions such as “Shugendo” on the Three Mountains of Dewa and the “Kurokawa Noh” play such as agriculture and the food and drink services are promising sectors for the future of the city Tsuruoka is also home to number of talents stemming from the city’s gastronomical tradition and includes well-known agriculturists and renowned chefs cooks and chefs are true creators and artists in Tsuruoka Universities and research facilities also explore topics related to gastronomy in studying and valuing indigenous crops as “living cultural assets” Under the leadership of the Tsuruoka Creative City of Gastronomy Promotion Council Tsuruoka is currently encouraging the transmission of traditional cuisine and is promoting the production and use of indigenous crops Uncover the unique charm of this historical destination where East meets West in architectural harmony The city of Tsuruoka is known primarily as the gateway to the Dewa Sanzan or the Three Mountains of Dewa: Mount Haguro And while those sacred mountains and their pilgrimage trails and rituals may be the area’s major draw History and architecture buffs in particular will find a wealth of buildings and exhibits to explore from the Chido Museum and its National Important Treasures to the Tsuruoka Catholic Church home of the only Black Madonna in the whole of Japan Here are some of the best things to do in Tsuruoka city After it was dismantled — a fate shared by many of Japan’s castles as the country distanced itself from its feudal past — Shonai Shrine was built where the inner citadel once stood maintains a connection to the area’s former rulers with four Sakai clan lords enshrined as deities including armor and dolls once belonging to the Sakai family are also on display in the shrine’s treasure hall Before visiting, be sure to check out Shonai Shrine’s official Instagram page, where the shrine’s enthusiastic caretakers share information on events and traditions, such as mochi-tsuki (pounding rice into mochi) and the annual fire festival. Other events are decidedly more modern and involve projection mapping and DJs A short walk from Shonai Shrine will bring you to the Chido Museum a repository of information on the history of the Shonai region of which Tsuruoka is a part The museum has been maintained by the family of the former Sakai feudal lords and it is still loved today by locals who refer to it fondly as Tono-sama made up of a Japanese-style garden and several historical buildings of both Japanese and Western styles houses archeological items unearthed in the area and various articles once used by the residents and feudal lords of the Shonai area Visitors to the museum, named after the Chidokan the old Shonai domain school operated by the Sakai clan brilliant displays of structural craftsmanship and the cultural riches contained within await Architectural aficionados will also want to check out the neighboring Shogin Tact Tsuruoka cultural hall designed by Kazuyo Sejima co-founder of renowned Tokyo-based architectural firm SANAA Not only does its sweeping curvature make for an impressive silhouette on the landscape the hall also offers an interesting view of the Chido Museum through its smooth polished glass and metallic structure making for a fantastic juxtaposition of new and old Of the buildings that make up the Chido Museum the Former Tsuruoka Police Station and the Former Nishitagawa District Office both designated as National Important Treasures the Former Tsuruoka Police Station is an example of giyofu architecture a Meiji-period style of construction notable for its semblance to Western architecture and seems to come straight out of a period movie which can only be admired from the outside conveys information on police trials of the Meiji era Across from the police station is the Former Nishitagawa District Office it boasts an eye-catching clock tower and a balcony the building hosts exhibitions on the Shonai region through the ages Don’t miss the museum’s traditional Japanese buildings including the thatched-roofed Former Shibuya Family Home a dry waterfall and a tranquil pond enclosed by smooth rocks Make sure to peer into the Japanese Folklore Materials House for interesting exhibits showcasing the lifestyle that was once common in the area On the other side of Shonai Shrine stands the Tsuruoka Catholic Church, consecrated in 1903. That same year, a Black Madonna was gifted to the church from France, making Tsuruoka Catholic Church one of the relatively few custodians worldwide — and the only custodian in Japan — of a Black Madonna is also notable for its stunning windows that appear to be stained glass but aren’t drawings encased between two panels of glass Tsuruoka Catholic Church — one of only two churches in Japan with a samurai gate and the seventh-oldest surviving wooden church in the country — is designated as a National Important Cultural Property Designed by the French priest Jacques Papinot it is considered an excellent example of Romanesque architecture and an enchanting instance of the blending of Japanese and Western styles visitors are requested to appreciate the space respectfully This is but the beginning of Tsuruoka’s incredible architecture, as in addition to its traditional and Japanese-Western fusion structures, the city has interesting examples of newer architecture, such as the prize-winning Tsuruoka Art Forum so much so that it was named Japan’s first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy Be sure to take the time to savor local cuisine as you survey the cityscape Ease your exploration with a stay at the Tokyo Dai-Ichi Hotel Tsuruoka Not only is the hotel a mere three-minute walk from Tsuruoka Station it’s also directly connected to the bus terminal intercity buses and buses bound for the regional Shonai Airport and Mount Haguro the architecture generates a continuous arrangement of vaults forming a cool cave-like environment while blending with the natural surroundings to welcome plants lush garden areas are allocated around and on top of the building all images courtesy of masaki hamada (kkpo) kiyoaki takeda architects has placed all floors on ground level generating an underground-ish space below them by enveloping the space with fairly thick soil the design forms a cave-like living area that keeps occupants cool the thickness of the soil was plotted as deep as possible so that the layered garden would be a small forest hosting a mixture of ground cover plants by opening the garden to other available life forms and providing them with a place to inhabit the garden eventually becomes a natural habitat itself their bio-mass must surpass the mass of human-made architecture,’ explains the team at kiyoaki takeda architects the vault slab volumetry of the dwelling draws influence from the flow of the rainwater this very shape of the tsuruoka’ house helps rainwater fall to the soil thus contributing to the support of the plants and the other wildlife species that occupy the gardens of the residence the project is completed with the installation of over-flow pipes to cope with a downpour high-density compost with water retention at the upper level where the plant roots can reach and low-density compost with clear drainage at the lower level.  the continuous vault slabs also serve as rain protection canopies generating a living environment with a shallow ceiling height but it would be a much more beckoning structure for one’s living compared to the general flat slab and wires to the ceiling to the low ceiling name: tsuruoka house architects: kiyoaki takeda architects lead architects: kiyoaki takeda japan gross built area: 206.72 sqm (2225 sqft) photography: masaki hamada (kkpo) from an environmental perspective, groundwater is stored and recycled on-site while natural subterranean reservoirs naturally cool and heat interior spaces, with hallways positioned to create a natural flow of continuous ventilation. the electrical, mechanical and generator rooms are located in a satellite structure reducing noise levels within the main building and allow easy maintenance. all images courtesy of kazuyo sejima / tsuruoka city cultural hall the folded planes viewed from the passing street the auditorium sits at the heart of the cultural center elevations detail the design’s sculpted nature sectional drawings of the single storey plan happening now! partnering with antonio citterio, AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function, but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style, context, and personal expression. © Masaki Hamada (kkpo)All humans, plants, animals, and insects have been co-proceeding the project “to live” on Earth. The earth is a formless assembly of various living organisms, including humans. Could architecture be a vessel to hold these organisms as one whole unit? “Tsuruoka House” is an architecture that attempted to hold not only people but also other life forms. © Masaki Hamada (kkpo)Why have I put my energy into creating the “architecture for the environment.” It is because there was an expectation that “architecture for the environment” could bring new rationality to “spaces for people.” © Masaki Hamada (kkpo)Living with Nature. During the construction, a serious doubt still remained in my mind. The environment supported by the building structure -artifacts- is “managed nature” by human hands. However, shouldn’t the environment mean “untouched nature”? © Masaki Hamada (kkpo)At “Tsuruoka House,” over time, the plants will grow, and birds and insects will introduce unplanned species. Eventually, a small forest could appear. Then, after decades, existing life forms will grow and hide the building entirely, and ultimately, their bio-mass must surpass the mass of human-made architecture. Yet, this one house would not bring any potential effect to improve the global environment. to create a life in which humans and other living forms could connect directly as a you-me relationship and keep a comfortable distance to appreciate each other’s blessing within the environment sustained by an appropriate balance between organisms and artifacts You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Yamagata Prefecture--Two residents were missing after a landslide destroyed or damaged 10 or so buildings triggering a massive rescue effort by police firefighters and Self-Defense Forces personnel The local fire department received an emergency call after midnight on Dec 30 about homes destroyed by a landslide in the Nishime district A mountain slope at least 100 meters wide and between 20 and 30 meters high broke loose and engulfed a small community of eight households destroying at least 10 homes and other structures according to local police and fire officials A woman in her 70s and her husband in his 80s living in the hamlet could not be contacted Two other elderly residents were rescued with minor injuries from their home Police and fire fighters were frantically searching for other possible victims According to Tsuruoka city government officials an evacuation order had been issued for 22 people living in eight households in the Nishime district prompting 14 residents to evacuate to a nearby community center The Yamagata prefectural government asked a local SDF base to provide rescue support and SDF members were dispatched to search for survivors on Dec Yamagata Governor Mieko Yoshimura promptly designated Tsuruoka as subject to coverage under the Disaster Relief Law Local residents had noticed water seeping out recently from the side of a slope that collapsed A 79-year-old man who lives in a nearby community noted that the red clay in the area was vulnerable to landslides Heroic taxi couple help vulnerable seniors flee Atami landslide 20 missing in Atami in rain-triggered landslide Atami evacuees allowed brief return home in stricken area You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Image: Office of the President of the United States Russia’s war against Ukraine is often depicted as a battle between democracy and authoritarianism. The Ukrainians are seen to be defending freedom and democracy. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson argues that ‘It is about Ukrainian democracy against Putin’s tyranny There is certainly a strong sense in Europe that Ukraine is fighting not only for its own freedom many US and European leaders seem to be using the ‘democracy versus authoritarianism’ discourse as a way to raise the stakes of the war and to generate political and moral support from their people regarding the war in Ukraine as a battle between democracy and authoritarianism is misguided and unhelpful in two respects the ‘democracy versus authoritarianism’ thesis obscures the fundamental reason why this war is unacceptable It is unacceptable not because Ukraine is a democracy Even if Ukraine were not a democracy and Russia were an ideal democracy It is a blatant violation of international law and Russia is believed to have committed numerous war crimes This is a war instigated by the ‘mighty’ against a neighbouring ‘weak’ country what is fundamentally at stake is how the international community should respond to such an attempt to change the status quo by force regardless of the parties’ democratic credentials Japan, while being fully aligned with the US and Europe in imposing sanctions against Russia and sharing fundamental values with them, is careful not to indulge in ‘democracy versus authoritarianism’ rhetoric. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio argued in his keynote to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in June 2022 that ‘I myself have a strong sense of urgency that “Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow”’ He went on by asking if ‘[we will] return to a lawless world where rules are ignored and broken where unilateral changes to the status quo by force are unchallenged and accepted and where the strong coerce the weak militarily or economically?’ Crucially he made his case while mentioning neither democracy nor freedom arguments emphasising the democratic nature of Ukraine could end up giving ammunition to those who point out the high levels of corruption in the country and cases of mistreatment of the Russian-speaking population in the Donbas region despite Russia’s claims of genocide being groundless It needs to be kept in mind that whatever happens in Ukraine nothing can justify Russia’s decision to invade its neighbour Ukraine does not have to be a perfectly clean and transparent model democracy that does not matter – though the fact that Ukraine is a democracy helps in reality for the purpose of generating public support in like-minded countries Taiwan needs to be defended not primarily because it is a democracy It is undeniable that the fact that Taiwan is a thriving democracy while China is an authoritarian state controlled by the Communist Party is one reason why Taiwan needs to be defended in the eyes of people living in democracies that Vietnam or Laos – which are not normally seen as liberal democracies – do not deserve to be supported by the international community if invaded by their powerful neighbour in terms of expanding the group of countries standing up against Russia’s aggression the ‘democracy versus authoritarianism’ thesis is unhelpful and possibly even counter-productive because it could alienate non-democracies and prevent them from coming onboard countries do not have to be democracies to join forces in countering Russia’s aggression It is worth remembering that when the UN General Assembly passed a resolution condemning Russia’s aggression in March 2022, as many as 141 countries voted for it, while when the same assembly adopted a resolution to suspend Russia’s membership of the Human Rights Council This gap reveals a lot about the nature of the international community Whereas the former was only about condemning Russia without concrete measures the latter was intended to strip Russia of its rights as a member of the Human Rights Council A significant number of non-democracies did not want the latter resolution to be used as a precedent in other cases There is therefore a trade-off between efforts to ‘deepen’ the level of cooperation among like-minded democracies – most notably within the framework of the G7 or the transatlantic context – and those to ‘widen’ the group of countries who are onboard with punishing Russia it might be necessary to prioritise one over another As the war in Ukraine is unlikely to end quickly those who support Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia need to devise a sustainable strategy that more diverse countries can be brought onboard with De-emphasising values might help in this regard though it will remain a challenge to persuade more countries to impose sanctions on Russia It should at least be possible to discourage countries from openly siding with Russia or China The views expressed in this Commentary are the author’s and do not represent those of RUSI or any other institution Have an idea for a Commentary you’d like to write for us? Send a short pitch to commentaries@rusi.org and we’ll get back to you if it fits into our research interests. Full guidelines for contributors can be found here. security and international affairs to help build a safer UK and a more secure Copyright 2025 | The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies | RUSI is registered as a charity in England and Wales - Charity number: 210639 | VAT number: GB752275038 The Tokyo firm founded and headed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, SANAA, recently opened the City of Culture of Tsuruoka a small city on the northwest coast of Japan’s Honshu Island sweeping canopies that crown it contribute to the creation of an inviting and welcoming image Several interconnected volumes diminish in size as they stretch towards the perimeter of the premises in a strategy that reduces the scale of the construction and helps to integrate the complex into its at once urban and natural environment features a main stage surrounded by seats set at different heights The public spaces adjacent to the centrally positioned auditorium like most of the other volumes comprising the complex there arent any match using your search terms Remnants of the former castle town still dot the neighborhood around Tsuruoka Park The city is the birthplace of novelist Fujisawa Shūhei and many areas are reminiscent of scenes from his historical novels The park also houses the Fujisawa Shūhei Memorial Museum (admission ¥320) Sakura 100: Japan’s Best Blossoms Banner photo © Tsuruoka City Tourism and Commerce Department.) Michito Tsuruoka discuss the new report on deepening security ties between Japan and European partners "Allies Growing Closer: Japan–Europe Security Ties in the Age of Strategic Competition" is available for download SPF in cooperation with Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA welcomed Admiral Philip S to the foundation for an event entitled "The Role of the Japan-U.S Alliance in the Indo-Pacific in 2023: Russia-Ukraine War and China." Congressional Study Group on Japan (CSGJ) delegation paid a courtesy visit to Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) Honorary Chair Yohei Sasakawa As strategic competition ramps up across the Indo-Pacific region countries in Europe have begun to shift their focus toward the region by deepening security ties with likeminded partners pagetop Receive regular updates about news, events, and research from the Sasakawa Peace Foundation Copyright © 2021 The Sasakawa Peace Foundation. All Rights Reserved. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world 2020 at 11:00 AM ESTBookmarkSaveLock This article is for subscribers only.Everything changed for Yuta Tsuruoka when his mother made a passing comment: She wanted to set up her own online store but didn’t know how “We were in a world where people with no internet skills and no money couldn’t imagine creating online businesses.” Koji Tsuruoka expected a quiet posting in a stable country He tells the Observer of his fears and hopes for manufacturing Sun 22 Apr 2018 10.05 CESTLast modified on Mon 3 Feb 2020 13.09 CETShareKoji Tsuruoka is sipping green tea in Japan’s splendid embassy in Mayfair recalling how his first two years as Japan’s ambassador to the UK have not gone quite according to plan they haven’t turned out how his predecessors assured him they would before he took up the position on 6 June 2016 opera and art galleries quickly lured him into thinking it would be “an excellent place to conclude my 40-plus years of diplomatic service in a very comfortable and quiet environment” British politicians and civil servants he met early on were almost all sure the EU referendum would pass peacefully by “Almost 99% said that you don’t have to worry because the British people don’t make adventurous decisions They said it was irrational to leave because of the economic conditions… And you know what happened.” A year later, after the Brexit bombshell caused global diplomatic and economic panic that reached Tokyo Theresa May called a surprise general election that threw everything up in the air again Thinking back to that period of turbulence Tsuruoka stops for a few seconds and glances out of the window in the direction of Buckingham Palace “Now I have to keep in mind that you don’t predict what is going to happen in the UK.” “We have 1,000 companies operating in the UK today funded by Japanese capital,” he says. “It accelerated after Margaret Thatcher promoted the UK as the ‘gateway to Europe’ for Japanese firms. The total Japanese investment to the EU’s 28 countries is of course huge, but out of 28 countries the UK alone now absorbs about 40% of total Japanese investment destined for the EU.” This account of a relationship that strengthened year after year – in a period during which the UK was in the EU – raises a very obvious question. Will it continue to thrive after we have left? He replies decisively. “One thing I can say for certain, based on fact, is that the companies operating today in the UK are not expanding their investment in the UK today.” “If you are proposing in your board meeting in a company that you need to invest more and build more cars in the UK today today there will be questions, and those are questions that are very difficult to answer today with certainty and therefore decisions are put off.” For Japanese enterprises which came to the UK to sell into EU markets, tariff-free trade is the guiding star that decides where they locate. “The reason that many of those companies have come is that this is the best gateway to Europe,” he says. “If that is in danger, if that is no longer sustainable, of course they will have to look at what they will have to do best. The existing arrangement for the single market is a total frictionless trade.” He believes membership of the single market is as good as it gets for Japanese firms wanting to sell into the EU from European bases. “The EU is a very exceptional single market. I don’t think the single market could be substituted by something and be better or even be the same.” Read moreIt is not a uniform picture across the whole economy as it has the R&D expertise and skills He cites the example of how Japan’s SoftBank agreed to buy the British software design firm Arm Holdings for £24.3bn in the hope that it would become a global leader “That is one representation of what will go on and that was based on the assessment that the R&D the potential for the UK succeeding further in this area was quite concrete… those technologies are not necessarily linked to the EU.” however – those producing goods for European markets rather than merely designing them – are a very “different issue” They face real uncertainties if and when the terms of trade change So too do Japanese financial institutions in the City Japanese banks and other organisations offering financial services The fact they will no longer have passporting rights to operate into EU markets will have significant effects on employment here “It is an issue – because having passporting rights to reach the single market and be part of the single market is a very efficient and cost-saving way of conducting financial services which is a regulated industry.” Will Japanese banks up sticks and go because Europe is just part of their market But jobs will head out of the City into the EU and Japanese companies will have to reduce their operations in London because London is a global financial centre not just a centre for the EU – but they will have to relocate some of their EU business to the EU in order to continue serving the EU consumers.” He is at pains not to talk down the UK’s post-Brexit prospects. Just as no one thought Brexit would happen when he arrived no one can know for definite that it will turn out badly 20 years… things become more unpredictable,” he says But he is clear that in the shorter term it will not be good for the UK economy nor the strength of its economic partnership with Japan He says Japan has not yet begun talks with the UK on a post-Brexit trade deal and that it would take several years to complete It is another area of real uncertainty in the entirely unpredictable post-Brexit world that he never expected to encounter on arriving in London This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media Unusual Path: Rabbi Theodore Tsuruoka came to Judaism late in life His unusual spiritual journey is seen as an asset by the leaders of Temple Isaiah of Great Neck which has a history of making non-traditional decisions a Korean church and a Chinese restaurant have in common The three components have all played a crucial role in the congregation’s colorful 46-year history this Reform congregation held the majority of its services inside the Community Church of Great Neck which serves as the spiritual center for much of the area’s Korean community Temple Isaiah stands in a space formerly occupied by Uncle Chau’s Chinese Restaurant (the restaurant was demolished and the synagogue was built from the ground up) Reflecting a message of inclusion that has touched a nerve in the community Tsuruoka has been crucial in helping Temple Isaiah survive and expand while other Reform synagogues in the area struggle to stay afloat “Temple Isaiah has always been incredibly nonjudgmental,” Tsuruoka said “It’s always been a congregation that has camaraderie For the rabbi and his unusual congregation which was held during the summer in the church’s small basement Tsuruoka said he was placed front and center in a sweltering-hot room packed with members that I felt comfortable enough to do that and talk to them as a brother,” Tsuruoka said “We just felt comfortable with each other,” said temple co-president Terry Joseph who is Puerto Rican and converted to Judaism from Catholicism rolled up his sleeves and got into the conversation Everyone left with a smile on their face.” Tsuruoka grew up as a Christian and converted to Judaism Along with Cantor Angela Buchdahl at Manhattan’s Central Synagogue he is one of a handful of Asian-American rabbis Although he is a rarity in the faith as a whole Tsuruoka was not a particularly shocking choice for Temple Isaiah which has taken a unique approach to choosing its leadership said she believed Lewis was the first female rabbi on Long Island the synagogue employed a blind cantor who was accompanied to the bimah by a seeing-eye dog “It’s not where you come from or what you look like,” Tsuruoka said “I don’t think they went out of their way to hire us I think it was just that was the person that fit there.” Tsuruoka himself freely admits he was not always sure where he fit in His grandparents were Buddhists but converted to Methodism upon arrival in the United States His parents met during World War II while imprisoned at an internment camp for Japanese Americans in Arizona Tsuruoka was raised Methodist on Manhattan’s Upper West Side before his parents began attending the nearby Riverside Church He said he met a cadre of Jewish friends while attending P.S he realized something wasn’t connecting during his religious studies Tsuruoka walked across Broadway to the Jewish Theological Seminary to discuss his feelings about God with a rabbi Tsuruoka had become an unlikely convert to Judaism “The questions I was asking the minster weren’t terribly satisfying and just not connecting me with my feelings towards God,” Tsuruoka said “I felt more comfortable at the Jewish Theological Seminary primarily because the connection with God was more direct.” Tsuruoka said he considered his relationship with Judaism over the next three decades to be “more of an intellectual pursuit,” as he studied texts and pored over the works of such sages as Maimonides It wasn’t until Tsuruoka’s children — he is married to the Jewish musician Linda Tsuruoka — began attending synagogue that he took his “spiritual journey” more seriously after being named president of the synagogue his family attended Temple Emanu-El (now Temple Am Echad) in Lynbrook “Part of what I was sort of missing in my Judaic mental chip was a synagogue experience,” Tsuruoka said Tsuruoka worked for many years as a finance official for Planned Parenthood and then ran a picture framing business He decided that his next step was to attend rabbinical school at the Academy for Jewish Religion Tsuruoka said he has never experienced any discomfort over being an Asian-American rabbi nor does he care about detractors who question his “Jewishness.” “Just because I come from another part of the world doesn’t put me out of humanity because they can accept all races from humanity there are no questions as to his authenticity recalled a trip the congregation took to Israel a few years ago that he said exemplified Tsuruoka’s connection to Judaism when we were where Ben-Gurion read the Declaration of Independence the look on his face was incredible,” Fein said.” It means so much to him.” Members of Temple Isaiah were also uncritical of Tsuruoka’s age when they hired him saying he provides wisdom from life experience that a rabbi ordained at a younger age would likely not have That factor has possibly drawn older residents of Great Neck to Temple Isaiah “We seem to be picking up people who rejoin after a hiatus after the kids were bar mitzvahed,” said Gordon who added that Temple Isaiah has a variety of adult education classes “The people who reach a point in their lives who want to rejoin the synagogue.” Though the area once boasted more than a dozen synagogues the aging population and a decrease in attendance have led to merging congregations “My concentration has really been to serve the needs of a congregation whose needs change as they get older to guide the journey of the last third of their lives,” Tsuruoka said Tsuruoka’s own journey finally has a set destination after 67 years of navigating many different stages of a complex spiritual journey “I have reached the point in my life where I can continue to do this as long as I have breath in my body to help them enhance Jewish identity,” Tsuruoka said “This is what I realize I was meant to do.” Contact Seth Berkman at [email protected] I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward American Jews need independent news they can trust At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S rising antisemitism and polarized discourse This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up Copyright © 2025 The Forward Association Melted snow permeating the soil of a mountain was likely the cause of a landslide in northeastern Japan last week that left two dead according to an expert who conducted an on-site probe professor emeritus of geomorphology at Yamagata University also called Thursday for caution about lifting evacuation orders for residents of Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture citing the risk of further disasters given the snowfall in December joined by prefectural and municipal governments confirmed that subsoil on the mountain has weathered and loosened over time adding that the risk of landslides will increase when snow melts The city has issued evacuation orders to 20 people in seven households near the affected zone who is also a former president of the Japan Landslide Society said a full-scale investigation spanning several months is necessary to confirm the safety of the area "Vigilance is needed until the snow melts in early spring," said Yagi it is difficult to tell people that they can return home with a feeling of assurance." About 10 buildings were destroyed or damaged when landslide occurred at around dawn on New Year's Eve killing a man in his 80s and his wife in her 70s The landslide measured 20 to 30 meters in height 100 meters in width and moved about 20,000 cubic meters of sediment 2 people confirmed dead in landslide in northeastern Japan Elderly couple missing in landslide in northeastern Japan To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible The Future of AI and Buddhist Teachings (Dr 60th Anniversary of Normalization of Japan-South Korea Diplomatic Relations: Pre.. Copyright © 2015- Foreign Press Center Japan Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp It’s a bittersweet story with the most incredible scenery that we are absolutely obsessed with Here are some places you cannot miss when you finally visit in person We are going to start with THE view you should recognise Most people remember the poster with the main character Daigo on a chair holding his cello with a breath-taking mountainous view in the background the highest peak of Yamagata prefecture and second highest mountain in the Tohoku region (first if you only count mountains with their peaks in Tohoku) Head to Yamagata’s Dewa Sanzan area to see Mt Chokai which is known as ‘The Fuji of Tohoku’ or ‘Dewa Fuji’ It’s on the list of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains oh and it’s also a sacred mountain of the Shugendo sect of Buddhism We recommend renting a car for the day to make the most out of this hiking adventure Make sure to get a hold of an International Driving Permit and don’t sweat in Japan they drive on the same side of the road as in the UK Chokai’s peak (2236 m) from late spring to late autumn when there is no snow to stop your adventuring spirit It takes 8 to 10 hours to get to the peak and back so brace yourself for a full day out in the wild For those who are here for the views of Mt. Chokai, we recommend visiting the valley or hiking one of the Dewa Sanzan peaks Gassan which have been used by Shugendo Buddhism as training grounds of mountain monks called Yamabushi for centuries You can test your resilience on all three and join the pilgrimage leading to spiritual rebirth All three have symbolic meaning connected to that journey which began over 1000 years ago The hiking time will be different depending on the route and make sure to check the snow situation before settling on hiking one of them Visiting the area don’t miss out on the mountain monk Yamabushi training at the local temples. You can join their prayers or even try waterfall meditation! We interviewed a local, Sara Milliot who has experienced the training and while talking about waterfall meditation shared that: Take a short trip to Sakata to explore this historical port town and visit another top movie location: the building which starred as the funeral company’s office It's probably one of the most recognisable locations but 'Departures' were filmed around Sakata Explore the historical streets of Sakata filled with relicts of the past and other film spots awards you with incredible natural views of a temple standing on the edge of the spiritual world For other Japan-facts and updates follow us on  Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages Anime Trending had the wonderful opportunity to personally interview Satoshi Tsuruoka at the Fate/Grand Order U.S.A Tsuruoka-san is most well-known as the voice of Caster Gilles de Rais from Fate/Zero But with his further involvement in Fate/Prototype Tsuruoka-san has assumed the roles of multiple servants Anime Trending (AT): How were you introduced into playing the role of Arash Satoshi Tsuruoka (T): I actually started as a voice actor for Fate/Zero TYPE-MOON (which made the Fate/ series) liked what I did and that’s what led me to all these other roles for Fate/Grand Order how do you prepare for their voices and keep them distinct from one another whether that be historical or in mythology and so everybody has a unique characterization in what they are as a person I start out first by gathering as much information as for how they lived their life they changed my voice and the impression of them have a different voice in them *gestures to the staff behind him* we have three men right here It’s kinda like that where we can switch each person’s looks and they have their own history and so that’s what they sound like because of all these attributes I noticed that you talked a lot about Caster who’s also my favorite character in the series and you mentioned you did a lot of reading on the Hundred of Years War is there any other hero or person that you would like to play as from that era I want to just personally go up to her and apologize that I couldn’t save her AT: I feel the same way too… On a lighter note would you consider Jeanne D’arc the best girl of your party Jeanne is definitely the best girl servant AT: So who would be your favorite male servant He’s the character that I have where my voice doesn’t die or which one gave the best impression to you T: Obviously Caster is the most fun and the more fun role to play to be able to do something so boldly and something so unnatural it feels really great just to be able to do something like that because of his character you mentioned that you came to the US and went to see cars Were you able to do the same thing this year T: I didn’t go see any cars specifically for the sake of cars While I was going through all kinds of places I was able to see different types of model cars that are in around in the public and that was the thing I was able to do to be able to enjoy myself Special thanks to Aniplex for hosting the Fate/Grand Order U.S.A Tour 2019 and for giving Anime Trending the opportunity to have this interview The Fate/Grand Order U.S.A. Tour 2019 will be exhibit at several conventions across the United States between May 2019 and November 2019. Please refer to the official website for more details Yamagata Prefecture--The magnificent five-storied pagoda on Mount Hagurosan is holding an illumination event through mid-October Visitors are being urged to come as the opportunity will not come around for a while once work to restore the thatched roofs gets under way next year which is said to have been rebuilt more than 600 years ago Work to rethatch the five roofs is scheduled to start in 2023 and finish in 2025 “With plans to hold the illumination event next year still undecided we hope people will not miss this opportunity because it will likely be suspended for some time after this year,” said a member of the event’s executive committee A nighttime “goshuin” seal stamp will be available on Aug and a special version will be on offer on Aug Admission is 500 yen ($3.70) for high school students and older visitors Food trucks are expected to feature in the illumination event A projection mapping show and other activities are also planned Kofukuji's 5-story pagoda in Nara to open to public from Oct East Pagoda of Yakushiji temple renovated for 1st time in a century Yakushiji temple to open its East Pagoda for first time in a decade Announcements Top Policies Top Data Top About MAFF Top Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division Address : 1-2-1,Kasumigaseki,Chiyoda-ku,Tokyo 100-8950,Japan Enterprise identification number : 5000012080001 Tokyo – A powerful earthquake jolted northwestern Japan late Tuesday causing minor injuries to 21 people and a brief evacuation of coastal homes until the risk of a tsunami passed Store floors were littered with goods that fell off shelves and roofs of homes showed bare spots where tiles had shaken loose But business was returning to normal Wednesday morning with trains mostly running as usual and electricity restored to thousands of homes that lost power temporarily There were no reports of serious damage from the magnitude 6.7 quake Minor sea level changes were detected by several coastal cities but the tsunami warning was lifted after about 2 ½ hours Japan’s Meteorological Agency said the earthquake struck off the western coast of Yamagata about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of the city of Sakata about 14 kilometers (9 miles) below the sea’s surface The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 21 people were injured most of them in Yamagata prefecture and that most injuries had minor injuries Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga urged residents to be prepared for possible aftershocks Tsuruoka city crisis management official Takehiko Takahashi said in a televised interview that city officials helped coastal residents evacuate to higher ground as a precaution before the tsunami warning was lifted More than 1,500 people took shelter at evacuation centers in Murakami city and elsewhere in Niigata prefecture but many of them left Wednesday morning to check their homes Public broadcaster NHK showed people using flattened cardboard boxes as mattresses to sleep on in a school gym were still awake and sitting against the walls Bullet train service was suspended in parts of the region because of power outages and for safety checks but were functioning normally Wednesday morning About 9,000 households in Yamagata and Niigata lost power All seven reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata were offline and no abnormalities were reported Two other nuclear power plants in the affected region were also intact according to the Nuclear Regulation Authority NHK showed broken glasses and dishes scattered on the floor of a bar in Tsuruoka which was empty after customers rushed out leaving behind their half-eaten food on the counter Japan is one of the most earthquake- and tsunami-prone areas in the world a magnitude 9.0 quake offshore caused a tsunami that triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear power plant The quake and tsunami heavily damaged coastal neighborhoods and took more than 18,000 lives This article was published more than 10 years ago known internationally as the father of Canadian karate "You can rest when you're dead," he always said were among the thousands of Japanese-Canadians interned during the Second World War They had to give up their Vancouver Island home and were moved to New Denver taking his youngest daughter and Masami with him Conditions in bombed-out Japanese cities were extremely harsh Young Masami was picked on because he was skinny he chanced upon a karate demonstration in a park and was so impressed that he started studying with Tsuyoshi Chitose Masami found a job as a translator and guide for the American occupation forces having attained the rank of 2nd dan in karate and 1st dan in judo he opened his own karate dojo in an old bowling alley in the city's west end With Kay running the business side of things he became the chief representative of Chito-ryu karate in North America he organized the First Canadian Karate Championship in Toronto The 1963 event was so large it was held at Varsity Arena he also began teaching karate at the University of Toronto which became the first university karate club in Canada He experimented with many styles of karate as well as tai chi and kung fu incorporating useful techniques into what was becoming his own style of karate he formed the National Karate Association (now Karate Canada) and 10 years later was instrumental in founding Karate Ontario he created the Tsuruoka Karate Federation (now the Tsuruoka Karate Organization) to unify the various provincial Tsuruoka karate groups the Queen's Golden Anniversary Medal (1992) and Grandmaster award in the Canadian Black Belt Hall of Fame (2006) Off the dojo floor Tsuruoka Sensei was friendly Thousands of people from all walks of life trained under his firm hand and many of his students have been instrumental in the spread and development of karate in Canada Tsuruoka Sensei instilled a sense of self-discipline in his students showing them they were capable of going much further than they ever thought possible He was always more interested in the development of their character than whether they won trophies in competitions Perhaps that is why so many studied with him for decades Frank Foulkes trained under Masami Tsuruoka for 51 years Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Editorial code of conduct Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. Click here to subscribe If you would like to write a letter to the editor, please forward it to letters@globeandmail.com. Readers can also interact with The Globe on Facebook and Twitter Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff We aim to create a safe and valuable space for discussion and debate If you do not see your comment posted immediately it is being reviewed by the moderation team and may appear shortly We aim to have all comments reviewed in a timely manner Comments that violate our community guidelines will not be posted UPDATED: Read our community guidelines here We have closed comments on this story for legal reasons or for abuse. For more information on our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines and our Terms and Conditions Copyright © Japan International Cooperation Agency there is only one region where silk products are made through a complete process from raising silkworms to sewing—Tsuruoka City in Yamagata Prefecture We spoke with one of the local silk manufacturers that has inherited the traditions of the silk industry that contributed to Japan's modernization while simultaneously producing products that meet the demands of contemporary society The Matsugaoka region in Tsuruoka was cultivated by approximately 3,000 former Shonai domain* samurai in 1871 a 311-hectare mulberry field for silkworms was established silk reeling factories and silk weaving factories were built Tsuruoka is the only region in Japan where the entire silk production process a leading company in the local silk industry "The greatest strength of the silk produced here is that it can truly be called 'Made in Japan.' Nowadays the Tsuruoka silk town project was started in 2012." initiated with the aim of preserving Japan's silk industry receives support from the Ministry of Economy It involves the development of new specialty products and expansion into new markets "We have developed a product using the first silk thread emitted by silkworms during cocoon spinning This material is a byproduct of the silk reeling process and is unsuitable for use as raw silk without further processing kibiso contains abundant water-soluble proteins It has such added value that it can be utilized as an ingredient in skincare cosmetics That's why we developed yarn effectively utilizing kibiso and expanded our product lineup under the new 'kibiso' brand targeting fashion-conscious customers to explore new market opportunities." since kibiso alone is not suitable for mechanical weaving a new yarn has been developed by combining it with other fibers such as organic cotton and wool These new yarns have been used to create fashion accessories such as stoles and bags towels including kibiso were developed in collaboration with towel producers The silky texture characteristic of silk has been well-received leading to their adoption as amenities in luxury hotels within the city the only location in Japan where the entire silk production process Five out of the ten silkworm rearing buildings still exist," says Yamato "We have been trying to raise awareness of Tsuruoka as a town associated with the silk introduced by former samurai using 'Samurai Silk' as a brand name for our products." following its designation as a Japan Heritage site the fourth silkworm chamber of Matsugaoka Reclamation Site was opened as Silk Miraikan Visitors can learn about the history of the silk industry and the production process a variety of Tsuruoka's silk products are available for purchase There is also a winery in the adjacent land that produces natural wines The winery also features a restaurant serving Italian-French cuisine made with local ingredients has now become a new hotspot attracting attention No article or any part there of may be reproduced without the express permission of the Cabinet Office. Copyright inquiries should be made through this form Gideon Rachman Simply sign up to the Life & Arts myFT Digest -- delivered directly to your inbox Kensington Palace Gardens has a good claim to be the most exclusive road in Britain It runs alongside the palace that was once home to Diana Several billionaires are reputed to own mansions on the street — including Roman Abramovich the Russian owner of Chelsea Football Club and Lakshmi Mittal National flags flutter from many of the other houses to signal that they are ambassadorial residences It is the Japanese ambassador — who resides at number 23 — who I am visiting on a bright summer’s afternoon the wide avenue — which runs from Notting Hill Gate to Kensington — is only semi-private There are police boxes at both entrances and armed policemen as I turn into the avenue from the Bayswater Road and stroll past a few joggers and pedestrians I press the bell on the gate of the Japanese residence the iron gates swing open and I walk up the crescent-shaped drive Sitting on a well-stuffed cream-coloured sofa is Koji Tsuruoka The ambassador is a relative newcomer to London after spending three arduous years negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership a trade deal that is meant to break down economic barriers between the US I suggest to Tsuruoka that the role of ambassador in London probably offers a gentler pace than the intense and highly technical TPP negotiations The ambassador, who is a young-looking 64, agrees that, under normal circumstances, the London job would be a relatively un-taxing posting. But these are not normal circumstances. The very month that he arrived, Britain voted for Brexit “I had been told that the characteristics of Britain were consistency Brexit is potentially a huge issue for the many Japanese companies — such as Toyota Nissan and others — that have invested heavily in Britain to use the country as a production base for the EU market I ask if many Japanese companies are now thinking of withdrawing they would hate to be forced out,” he replies diplomatically One of the privileges of being an ambassador is that your residence is often decorated with works of art designed to show the creative side of your country So we take a break from diplomacy to inspect a cabinet full of Japanese ceramics on the other side of the living room I am dazzled by a six-inch high blue porcelain jar with a white and yellow streak down its centre It is by Tokuda Yasokichi III — a ceramic artist who was designated a “national living treasure” by the Japanese government in 1997 — because of his mastery of the saiyu technique which produces particularly vivid enamel glazes are on display in the Japanese galleries in the British Museum There are more works of fine art in the drawing room next door — and we linger for a while by “Red and White Plum Flowers” a painting by Maeda Seison — one of the most celebrated Japanese artists of the 20th century But my eye is drawn to the photo on the sideboard opposite of Emperor Akihito Perhaps the two men will negotiate a compromise “You don’t negotiate with the monarch,” I am firmly reminded We move out into the garden which is pretty and well-tended — but surprisingly small given the size of the mansion that it serves I refrain from pointing out that the French ambassador she also has a nightmare neighbour in the form of Jon Hunt who is insisting on digging out a giant underground car-park beneath his house for his collection of cars.) Tsuruoka says that he would like to have a garden party but is worried by London’s changeable weather I tell him that being rained on is an occupational hazard at any British garden party The ambassador shows me over to a rose bush in full bloom He says that one of his recent predecessors had so much time on his hands that he had developed a passion for growing roses — and had even had a new variety of shrub rose named after him “It’s one of those,” he says gesturing vaguely towards some splendid-looking blooms “I’m afraid I don’t know which one.” (Later research reveals that the Ambassador Nogami is a yellow shrub rose The current ambassador’s passions run more towards golf I also hear a curious story about his father who had been a Japanese diplomat in Paris during the Nazi invasion in 1940 — and had then gone on to work at the Japanese embassy in Vichy France “We were the Germans’ allies,” notes Tsuruoka But still it was not an easy time.” He says that his father spent the last months of the war on neutral territory in Geneva and towards the end of the conflict found himself with very little to do So he devoted himself to playing golf and managed to get out on to the course on 10 successive days “He said that he discovered that it’s only if you play 10 days in a row that you can get your handicap down to par.” (This strikes me as one of the more unusual lessons to draw from the Japanese experience of the second world war.) After the war resumed a diplomatic career that ended only in the 1970s with a posting as Japan’s ambassador to the UN His son has inherited his father’s profession — and his passion for golf It is now 1pm and so we move to the conservatory for a sushi lunch The mansions on Kensington Palace Gardens are listed buildings constructed in the 19th century and owned by the Crown Estate which makes it difficult to add new rooms or structures But the Japanese are fortunate that a previous 19th-century owner had seen fit to construct a glass-roofed conservatory in 1878 which is filled with light on a late summer’s day I ask whether the ambassador worries that living in such pleasant surroundings might make it hard to return to normal life in Tokyo at the end of his posting “Our private quarters are a replica of a Japanese rabbit hutch That will make sure that I don’t get too used to grandiose surroundings.” I ask the veteran trade-negotiator for some tips for the British since Brexit means that we are about to enter many years of complex trade negotiations “Understand what the rules are and don’t take anything lightly or for granted,” he suggests “And remember how many details you have to master You might have to negotiate tariffs and standards on 6,000 different products This task is all the more daunting because there are very few trained trade negotiators within the British civil service Certainly a light-filled conservatory in Kensington Palace Gardens seems like a pleasanter environment than the gloomy conference rooms in which trade-deals are negotiated Tsuruoka keeps his golf clubs in his study “Unfortunately they are both American,” he says “The Japanese clubs are too expensive for me.” His most trusted companion is a 40-year-old Ping putter “To have the same putter for 40 years is very rare,” he remarks “But this was a lesson I learned from my father He had about 15 putters and could never choose between them and was a really bad putter The second is a TaylorMade club — a gift from a fellow diplomat in Indonesia The two men worked on helping newly independent East Timor Tsuruoka has already had the chance to play the course at Royal Troon AD Leave a rating/comment#Archeology / History / FolkloreBack to ArticlesSHARE Login | Sign Up Push Square Guest Login or Sign Up One of the early objectives in Shenmue is to find Charlie in Dobuita The problem is that not many of the locals have heard of him so we’re going to help you to track him down in the local tattoo parlor and will unlock the ‘Needle in a Haystack’ Trophy Once you’ve concluded your search for sailors at the Heartbeats Bar you’ll be given some information about a man named Charlie who can help you in your pursuit of Lan Di The problem is that you’re not given a whole lot of information to go on The best place to start is with Tsuruoka-san at the jacket shop which is opposite the military surplus store near to Tom’s Hotdog Stand but he won’t be able to give you a specific location Next try talking Kinuyo-san at Hokuhoku Lunches and she’ll tell you about Naigai Industries This will open up a new line of questioning and asking around Dobuita will reveal that it’s not a particularly pleasant place You’ll find Nagai Industries on the same street as Liu Barber and Hair Salon Talk to the unsavoury characters at Nagai Industries and get some firm information on Charlie then head out and wait until after 7PM before going to the GAME You arcade You’ll end up embroiled in a battle with the thugs from the Heartbeats Bar but once you’ve beaten them they’ll talk to you about tattoos Use this new information to question the bikers near the Knocking Motorcycle Store Then head to the tattoo parlour at Okayama Heights who’ll tell you they’re closed but that Charlie “might” return when they re-open at 2PM tomorrow knowing that you’ve finally found that needle in a haystack Shenmue - How to Get into Warehouse 8 and Meet Master Chen Shenmue - How to Find Charlie in the Tattoo Parlor in Dobuita Shenmue II - How to Easily Make Lots of Money Shenmue II - How to Learn 15 Combat Skills Shenmue - How to Find the Flashback in the Dojo Shenmue II - How to Straighten the Man's Sign Near the Come Over Guest House in Wan Chai Shenmue - How to Find the Flashback in the Yard Shenmue - How to Find the Flashback in the Kitchen Shenmue II - Master the Wild Throw Move from the Kung Fu School in Wan Chai Shenmue II - How to Win 5 Arm Wrestling Matches Sammy has over 15 years of experience analysing the world of PlayStation from PS3 through PS5 and everything in between He’s an expert on PS Studios and industry matters He also enjoys RPGs when he has the time to dedicate to them Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment.. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: The Continent Walkthrough - Lost Gestrals, Music Records, Outfits, Journals All collectibles locations in The Continent Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Trophy Guide: All Trophies and How to Get the Platinum How to unlock all Trophies in Expedition 33 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Guide: A 100% Collectibles Walkthrough Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: All Journals Locations Where to find every Journal in Expedition 33 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: All Outfits and How to Get Them Where to find every Outfit for all characters Shenmue I & II PlayStation 4 Xbox One SEGA Review: Shenmue I & II (PS4) Guide Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: The Continent Walkthrough - Lost Gestrals, ... Guide Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Trophy Guide: All Trophies and How to Get th... Guide Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Guide: A 100% Collectibles Walkthrough Guide Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: All Journals Locations Guide Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: All Outfits and How to Get Them Guide Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: The Monolith Walkthrough - Paint Cages, Mus... News Plenty of People Are Playing Expedition 33 on PS5, Despite Having to Act... Guide The Last of Us 2: All Safe Code Combinations News PS Plus Essential Games for May 2025 Announced Guide Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: All Lost Gestrals Locations Show More © 2025 Hookshot Media, partner of IGN Entertainment | Hosted by 44 Bytes | AdChoices | Do Not Sell My Personal Information The Anime Festival Asia convention announced on Tuesday that it will host voice actors Satoshi Tsuruoka, Tohru Furuya, and Saki Ono She also performed as part of the I My Me Mine group to perform the theme songs for the Himegoto anime and similarly performed as part of the Dōbutsu Biscuit x PPP group to perform the opening theme song of the Kemono Friends anime The convention is one of five in content company Sotsu Co., Ltd. and Singaporean events and marketing agency Sozo Pte. Ltd.'s "C3 AFA" joint events that bring together their C3 and Anime Festival Asia events [Via Kaori Nusantara]